Watch the Orionid Meteor Shower Tonight

Watch the Orionid Meteor Shower Tonight

Space is awesome. Cosmic dust is even cooler when viewed from the Earth at just the right time and day. This weekend non-city dwellers can look up and see the Orionids, a cluster of cosmic leftovers left behind by the infamous Halley’s comet. For anyone who does remember, Halley’s comet last passed through our solar system in 1986. That’s over twenty years ago.

Fortunately, those who live in the city will not miss out, as NASA will be hosting a webcast tonight starting at 8pm PDT/11pm EDT, which continues into Sunday morning for three hours. If you really want to nerd out, astronomer Mitzi Adams will be answering questions during the broadcast.

The best way to see this meteor shower is to lay flat on your back and look straight up. Since the meteors can appear anywhere in the sky, you don’t need binoculars or a telescope, just a dark sky.